As of Saturday morning, at least 12 residents at long-term care facilities in Kankakee have lost their battle with COVID-19.
Illinois Department of Public Health reports this morning at least 12 deaths at long-term care facilities in Kankakee County to date due to COVID-19.
Among the IDPH reports include 10 deaths at Riverside’s Miller Center, 1 at Bickford of Bourbonnais, and 1 at Riverside Senior Life. There are now 40 reported cases at Miller Center, 20 reported at Presence Our Lady Victory – Ascension Living, 13 reported at Riverside Senior Life, 8 reported at Bickford of Bourbonnais, and 2 reported at Aperion Care of Bradley.
During an address on Friday, Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk reported IDPH has notified the City it is reporting anyone inside a nursing home that is symptomatic as positive, whether they have or have not been tested.
The IDPH announcement marks the first time officials of any kind have commented on deaths at a long term facility in Kankakee County.
Prior to the announcement, there were no officially reported deaths at long-term care providers in Kankakee County.
On April 20th, Country Herald reported the first death at Riverside’s Miller Center following a family obituary that alerted the community to a death occurring at the facility. Since then, multiple deaths have been reported through local obituaries regarding residents at long term care providers.
Bickford of Bourbonnais indirectly reported a death, when they changed their active COVID-19 count on their transparency website from 2 cases to 1 of 2 in late April.
When questioned regarding deaths, no officials at any facilities we reached out to care to give a statement, including expressing grief towards the victims of a pandemic.
At last check, Riverside’s Miller Center reported the most cases at any facility in Kankakee County with 39 of 70 residents infected with the pandemic.
Riverside’s Senior Care of Bourbonnais welcomed their first inpatient with the disease back home earlier this week. It’s the only known case of a senior reentering a home following a battle with COVID-19 in the area to date.
